Wedding cake costs

Every wedding expert will tell you that the wedding cake is very important in your reception in a way that it will become one of the focus of the reception. First of all, your guests will see the cake when they arrive the reception hall. Besides, it is very common for brides and grooms to take plenty of photos with the guests in front of the cake. As a result, it will be essential for you to make the cake special and unique.

However, the wedding cake can also be very expensive. It can be even more expensive if you are planning to order a designer cake. Of course there are also some ways for you to lower the prices and costs of it. This will be beneficial if you need to be planing a wedding on a tight budget. To this end, you may probably guess that you will need to forgo the quality in order to save money! However, this is not the truth here. You can in fact at the same time save money and get an elegant cake. You can do it if you can spend the time to search for your wedding cake.

#1 The first way of saving money on the wedding cake is to adapt the idea of baking the cake yourself. You may think this is a crazy idea! Yes, it is very true that you may not be a baker yourself. However, you can attend to some baking classes a few months before your big day. To this end, you can learn the way to bake and you can make the cake yourself. It will be an interesting idea since your guests will be amazed when they know that you can bake the cake yourself!

#2 Yet, some brides and grooms can be very busy during the day and they may not have the time to learn how to bake. To this end, they may not be able to bake the wedding cake themselves. Besides, you may also think that you will be busy a few days before your big day. As a result, you may not have the time to bake the cake even if you are a baker. If this is the case, you may not want to bake the cake yourself. Instead, you may need to outsource the work!

However, you may not really need to hire a baker to this end. You can actually discuss with some students in the baking classes. They may be interested in doing the job with a relatively lower fee. Yet, be sure to allow some time for the candidate to bake the cake since they are still students.

#3 Even if you want to hire a baker, you can still save money be decorating the cake yourself. This can be a good option. You can ask your friends to help to this end. You may consider use some fresh flower petals to decorate the wedding cake. And it will not be difficult for you to adapt the idea of DIY.

party favors

A lot of time and effort goes into planning a child’s birthday party. As a host, you take many issues in consideration when planning the big event. After all, you goal is to make this memorable occasion fun for your child and all your guests and if possible, try to enjoy it yourself.

After you have planned for the food, entertainment and the cake, it is now time to choose the most suitable kids’ party favor. When looking for parting gift ideas for kids, you should always consider the following:

• Theme of the birthday party
• Age of the children
• Interests of the birthday boy/girl
• functionality of the party favor
• Safety of the children
• gender appropriate party favor
• budget

Meeting all the above criteria in a party favor may at first seem difficult, but fortunately there are ways to successfully accomplish the task. Once you have decided on a for example Disney theme, narrow down your favorite Disney character (such as Mickey Mouse, Dora the Explorer,…) and search for that specific character on any search engine.
Once you have found a web site with your character’s offerings, determine if you prefer to have a party favor for either genders (such as a beach ball) or one for each. You have now half way through your task.

At this stage of planning you may consider a one piece goodie bag such as a Disney Princess paint your own portfolio, which is a complete party favor on its own. It is something new and exciting and kids will have a chance to do it on their own time, away from the T.V. set. They also have a chance to be creative and at the end feel accomplished when they use their creation. Another option for a parting birthday gift for kids is to pick a multi piece party favor. A great example is the Dora tin box that may be used as pencil box or keepsake box, and may be stuffed with pencils and stationary items or Dora bracelets and necklaces or other novelties. Since the children are likely to have had enough cake and sweets, some parents tend to stay away from treats and candies in their loot bags.

You now need to determine if all the guests of the same gender will receive one uniform party favor. Sometimes you have a variety of ages among your guests, in which time you need to consider a break down in ages of the guests and make a decision in their age groups. For instance, something suitable for your two and three year old nieces may not satisfy the taste of your daughter’s six year old classmates.

Parents’ of small children have high regards for safety issues and manufacturers have become more aware of their product parts. Therefore it should be easy to pick a product to meet all your safety requirements. Now it is time to consider the functionality of the party favor for kids and evaluate if kids will enjoy using this party favor or it will be deposited into the first trash can.

Kids cakes

Do you know what is so special for a child's birthday celebration? It is the birthday cake. They love the moment of cutting the birthday cake. There can be so many gifts for the child, but the center of attraction is the birthday cake. Therefore, it is worth putting a lot of time and money in planning the birthday cake.

More than the taste, we need to concentrate in shape, color, and size of the birthday cake. It is always better if we could design the birthday cake in cartoon characters that are familiar to the children. If the birthday cake is made in the birthday child's favorite color, they will obliviously love it.

The birthday cake idea

If the birthday cake has a theme or idea the attraction for it, is immense. Here are few suggestions. There are Pirates and Princesses, a classic birthday cake themes for boys and girls. They can be Cinderella Castle Cake, ice Cream Castle Cake, Pirate Cake, Pirate Ship Cake, Princess Cake, Splendid Castle Cake, and Treasure Chest Cake

Sports- this birthday cake idea is for kids who love sports. They are Bowling Ball Cake, Bowling Lane Cake, Football Cake, and Skateboard Cake. Wings and Wheels-this birthday cake idea will really move your child. They are Train Cake, Dump Truck Cake, Fire Engine Cake, Outback Jeep Cake, Racetrack Cake, School Bus Cake, and Space Cake

Birthday cake designs

The birthday cake design can be anything. If the birthday cake design is different, meaningful, the kids, children and adults will appreciate it. Listed below are a few design ideas for your next birthday cake.

They are Apron Cake, Artist's Palette Cake, Boom Box Cake, Checkers Cake, Chinese Checkers Cake, Groovy T-shirt Cake, Pizza Cake, Private Eye Cake, Remote Control Cake, Smiley Face Cake, and Teeny Tiny Cake Tub Cake Upside-Down Cake, Volcano Cake Birth day cake decorating ideas

Once the birthday cake is made or purchased, it should be decorated well. The decoration is generally done to the top and sides of the cake. It is always better to decorate the birthday cake using the favorite color of the birthday boy or girl. The table in which the birthday cake is placed also should be decorated suitably.

Birthday cake recipe

An excellent birthday cake recipe is a 4-layer chocolate cake with whipped cream filling between the layers. The ingredients are -1 package Devils Food cake mix, 4 small cans or cups, Ready-to-Serve Chocolate Pudding, 1 egg, ½ - 1 cup Chocolate Chips WHIPPED CREAM FILLING INGREDIENTS 2 cups, Whipping Cream, ¼ cup Powdered Confectioner's Sugar, 1 - 2 Teaspoons Vanilla

We can frost the entire cake with Chocolate Whipped Cream Frosting, and sprinkle the sides with chocolate sprinkles. The recipe Chocolate Whipped Cream consists of Frosting-1 ½ cups, Heavy Whipping Cream1 ¼ cups, Powdered Sugar- 1/3-cup, Baking Cocoa-1/2 teaspoon, and Vanilla.

Children's birthday cakes

Children's birthday cakes must have a good design, shape, and size. If the cake has any theme or idea, the children will love it. If the design resembles a familiar character to the children like noddy, it will be an added attraction. The suggested children birthday cake models are Pureed Strawberries and Fresh Cream, Vanilla Sponge in Nemo, Teddy Bear, Power Puff Girls, Tweety, Winnie the Pooh, Flower Basket, Bob the Builder, Simpson's, Thomas The Train, Barbie, Star cakes.

Party cakes

Halloween will be here soon; goblins, ghosts and ghoulish fun too. Halloween also brings with it the start of the Holiday Season, pumpkin patches, and that warm fuzzy feeling that winter is on the way. Many families celebrate with a huge bash for friends and family and even the neighborhood kids. Bobbing for apples, yummy goodies, and dressing up in costumes are just some of the fun to be had.

Here at Make A Diaper Cake we’d like to share a Halloween treat for all guaranteed to make any party a success. You can make your own Halloween Cake, not the sugary kind with those extra calories we don’t want, but one with all your kids’ favorite goodies (and yours too). You can make a cake for any age, putting their favorite surprises in it.

This unique design can be customized for any size party and with your imagination you can design it for any holiday event. In fact, why not bring a Halloween Cake to the office and spice up the day or surprise your favorite nieces and nephews. You’ll be their favorite aunt for sure after this.

Here are just some of the ideas for your cake:

1. Put your favorite games, stickers, Halloween-themed popcorn, and other party ideas for all to enjoy. Then they can take right from the cake and it makes a great centerpiece.

2. If you know of someone with a new baby or even a toddler, put a cute costume in your design and include a Halloween bib, and other special baby items.

3. For the office –Use the template available on our site and use shred for a good base. Then add in Halloween themed coffees, candy, notepads, pens, popcorn and more for your next party cake at the office.

4. Safety cake – All kids need to be extra special careful at Halloween. You can design a cake with Halloween safety items, such as flashlights, light sticks, Halloween Trick-Or-Treat bags, etc. Tuck in little gifts, games, candy or toys for the kids too. It’s Halloween; you want it to be loads of fun.

5. You can welcome a new puppy or kitten by using kitten or puppy Halloween outfits and then include a disposable camera to take pictures of them in their cute little outfits. Include Halloween themed chew toys and other items new pet owners will need for their kitten or puppy.

Whichever you choose, you’ll be delighted you made this cake and put a smile on faces, young and old.

For more information on making holiday cakes, diaper cakes, or any other specialty cake, stop by the website at http://www.makeadiapercake.biz. Not only do we have complete instructions for making cakes, but an e-book that walks you though each step. And if you’d prefer to have us make it for you, no problem. We specialize in making specialty cakes for all occasions. This year make it a Halloween to remember, and the start of a great Halloween Season. Also, don’t forget to stop back and see our other holiday creations.

Cake decorating supplies

I remember my first experience to really good handy cake decorating supplies was when I was a kid and at that time used to enjoy watching my grandmother baking and decorating. My grandmother would bake as well as cool a set of cakes, ice the layers and the cake in completion, subsequently – it was time for the greatest delight for me – when she would reach out to a special cabinet and take out cake decorating supplies in a package that looked like a gift box: the cake decorating supplies were kept stored in parts, each part fitting into its own cardboard cutout form. One by one Gram would slowly pull out the metal barrel, the plunger, the washer, and one or more of the tips…these tips were used to make leaves, or flowers, or perhaps to do tubing, to set stars.

Gram would put together the pieces and spoon one color frosting at a time into the cool metal tube, screw back on the plunger, and begin to work on decorating, which at times would take hours that were probably arduous, despite the fact that she never expressed a single complaint and neither did I move, fascinated as I was by the process, till she was done completely. Years later, when I had my own home, my grandmother had sent me a set of cake decorating supplies that were similar to her set. At times I practiced, and found these decorators to be incredible things of beauty - in form and functio and durability

Though at some point later, I lost or loaned and never got back my cake decorating supplies, and changed them with the ultra-professional frosting bags and decorating tips, which were just as lovely (though if you have hot hands, the canvas bags transfer the heat—faster than it would with the metal set--to the frosting and it will puddle, so hold the bag by the top where you have twisted or folded it).

Last Christmas, I wanted to give a friend who had just gotten into gourmet baking a set of those cake decorating supplies of yore. Since I didn’t find the time to go online, I found, rather stupidly, a discounted cake decorator at a local department store. Actually the thing doesn’t stay closed (at the plunger and cap), and it is plastic and stays greasy after washing. Ugh. Despite the fact twenty years ago I would have had an excuse, however today, I should know better…and use a site like eBay, where we not only find cake decorating supplies but those of the quality of the originals: A good tip is to either look for the brand name Wilton or use keywords like "vintage" or "original" or "aluminum"…for the kind of cake-decorating supplies Gram had.

Cupcake decorations

Everyone loves Christmas and you'll probably agree that decorations are a major part of the holiday. And what would Christmas be without all the baked goodies and sweet treats? As for me and my family, this involves cupcake decorations. The inclination to over-indulge in such sweets is more common around the holidays. So, I sincerely hope you’ll enjoy these artistic and quirky Christmas cupcake ideas - crafting as well as eating them.

• Begin with your favorite cupcake recipe by baking them or buying a ready-made one from your favorite bakeshop. Generously top them with white frosting, add some shredded coconut, dust it with a powdered or confectioner’s sugar and voila! a mini-winter-wonderland in a yummy cup.

• These are great for parties all year-round and particularly at Christmas time. The idea is to form a miniature Christmas present at the top each cupcake. Use an assortment of icing colors; red licorice works well for the ribbons and bows. Pitch in a small amount of sprinkles, if preferred.

• Santa's face never look so yummy! Top each of your favorite cupcakes with a red frosting on one side and white on the other. Put some mini marshmallows at the border separating the two colors, forming it as Santa's hat brim. Cautiously use brown chocolate or green frosting to form his face on the white side of the icing. You may use, round candies for Santa's eyes and nose. Thin out strips of various edible goodies such as fruit roll-up cutouts, and thin licorice whips, to use as Santa’s smiling lips.

• These snowman cupcakes are definitely going to be a hit. White icing should be placed to form the base making it look like a snow on the ground. Put a big marshmallow, and then add a little one above to shape the body of Frosty the Snowman. Insert a toothpick vertically through both marshmallows to hold Frosty together. Use small candies of your choice for her eyes, nose, held in place with a small bit of frosting. Try on a small piece of Tootsie Roll for his hat. Frosty won't likely melt but I’m sure she won't last long, either!

• For this next one, we will try to make a Christmas tree made of cupcakes. You'll need about one and half dozen cupcakes, and a rightfully big, festive platter to hold them all. Top all, except the last four, of your cupcakes with a green icing. The last four should be frosted in brown chocolate. Basically arrange the four brown-topped cakes at one end of the plate, shaping a tree trunk. Arrange your green cupcakes above the brown ones, in a shape of a triangle forming the shape of a tree. As for the decorations, use small chocolates candies of different shapes and colors. As usual, you can't go wrong using grated coconut as snow, and red licorice makes a great garland. Try on some tubes of gel icing, in an assortment of colors, which can be bought at any supermarkets, party supplies stores, and baking supplies stores.

Cake decorating ideas

Beautiful cakes are not just for big bucks on extra-special occasions. You can learn easy cake decorating ideas that you can do yourself to make even an ordinary boxed cake mix look extraordinary. With a few simple tools and techniques and the easy cake decorating ideas in this article, you'll be able to make a beautiful cake yourself at home.

Icing The Cake

Most of the time, you'll want to start with smooth icing all over the cake as the base for all of these easy cake decorating ideas. To get a smooth surface, make sure the cake is completely cooled and your frosting is not too thick. Thinner icing will spread more easily and end up with a smoother finish.

First, put a very thin layer of frosting all over the cake. This is called the crumb coat, and it will keep crumbs from getting mixed in with the frosting that you'll see on the finished cake. At this point, you can refrigerate the cake to set the crumb coat and make it easier to apply the top coat.

Next, use an icing spatula to put on the second coat of icing. Start with a large amount of icing in the middle of the top of the cake and spread it toward the edges. When the top of the cake is completely covered, cover the sides of the cake. To smooth the sides, hold the spatula straight up and down and hold the edge against the cake as you spin the plate.

For the best look, try to get the frosting as smooth as possible all over cake. For the top of the cake, hold the spatula perfectly horizontal. For the sides, hold it perfectly upright. Try dipping the spatula in hot water and drying it before gliding across the frosting for even smoother results.

Getting smooth, even icing on your cakes is probably the hardest part of cake decorating. Practice these techniques until you can get perfectly smooth frosting, and you might find that you don't even need any other cake decorating ideas for an elegant, beautiful cake.

Easy Cake Decorating Ideas & Tips

For a simply elegant cake with a really easy technique, dust your frosted cake with powdered sugar. Try using a stencil for a themed or geometric design on the top of the cake. Remember making paper snowflakes as a kid? Make one to fit the top of your cake and use it as a stencil for a one-of-a-kind powdered sugar design.

If you want a more detailed, three-dimensional design, you can buy ready-to-use decorations and cake toppers in just about any theme you can think of. Candy flowers and letters, sprinkles in special shapes, and even small toys can be used to top your cake.

For an especially tasty look, sprinkle the cake with candy, nuts, shredded coconut, or chocolate shavings. Or use fresh fruit, like a simple ring of strawberry slices or an elaborate pattern of a few kinds of fruits. For a different style, decorate only the sides of the cake and leave the top smooth, or surround a simply frosted cake with fresh fruit or flowers.

Another option is to use a decorating comb or decorating triangle to add texture to the frosting. A decorating comb is a simple piece of plastic or metal with a variety of shaped edges. You drag the comb along the frosting to leave a textured pattern in the frosting. This is a great option if you're having trouble getting your icing as smooth as you want it to be.

Chocolate cake decorations

When it comes to celebrating, food plays a critical and cross-cultural role. While it may consist of different cuisine depending on where you go, the meal around which families and friends gather unites the world on common ground. Different food comes to mean different things – a holiday meal, a weekly favorite, or a family recipe. But when it comes to celebrating sweetly – especially in the United States – nothing beats a chocolate cake.

For chocolate cake connoisseurs the preferences are as unique as the people themselves – chocolate cake frosted with vanilla icing, chocolate icing, whip cream, you name it. Each family may have a special recipe handed down from generation to generation or a favorite bakery where the chocolate cake can’t be missed. Today’s ever-increasing popularity of chocolate cake would surely have been a surprise to those who first attempted its creation.

The making of cakes in a general nature began shortly after flour was discovered. The recipe then was much less sweet than it is today – displaying more of a bread-like quality. Initially, added to the flour, were milk and yeast; honey or dried fruit were added to sweeten the mixture. Today, eggs are most often used in place of yeast, and, of course, sugar has become our sweetener of choice. Making cake prior to the Industrial Revolution was a complicated and pricey process. But with the advent of mass produced ingredients, cake making became affordable and easy for all levels of bakers.

Chocolate cake was first seen in the United States, the recipe for which was submitted to a Dallas, Texas newspaper in 1957. This particular recipe called for Baker’s German’s Sweet Chocolate which is how the chocolate cake received its name. The response to the printed recipe was immediate and astounding.

Today, the variations to this original recipe number into the thousands, with families adding their own special additions throughout the years. The advent of the boxed chocolate cake has given hope to elementary bakers everywhere whose only responsibility is to add egg and oil and bake. Even still, the most delicious of chocolate cake is that which originates in the homes of our families.

Birthday cake decoration

A birthday cake is more often than not bought to keep someone’s birthday. This coat can be bought for individual in your family or you can buy a birthday cake for a friend, relation, partner, task associates and so on. You will of course have a all-embracing survival of the fittest of birthday cakes that you can opt from and buy.

Too buying these birthday cakes you can look up recipes for a birthday cake and individualize the cake. By fashioning your own bar you can add the flavors and the ingredients that you want. For exemplify you can make a coffee bean double William James Fix coat that has raisins and crunchy crackers secret in the mix. You can pour out the cake flux into various shapes and then full-dress your masterpiece.

Your recently made birthday cake can look like a plain alive sketch character, moving-picture show personality, an animal or even people like astronauts, ballerinas and clowns. The different shapes and characters that you can make these birthday goodies into are of course endless.

Now birthday cakes don’t just come in different shapes and colors, you will also find a people of sizes. A few of the birthday cakes will be small profusely adorned cupcakes. These cupcakes sized birthday cakes are great for liberal children who want to carry their birthday cake round without having to concern about share-out their cake.

While these mini cakes are very pop and we all love having a traditional prosperous patty there is another typewrite of coat that you can buy. This birthday cake is that of an ice-skating rink cream cake. This typewrite of coat is a tremendous idea to try out as your family can immix the delicious taste sensation of a coat and glass hydrochloride cut off together without having to bribe these two items separately.

Once you have chosen your birthday cake whether it is calculator stock bought or homemade you will need to make sure that it corset fresh. This impudence is necessary as you might be having late night natal day guests.

To contain that you are getting a fresh gustatory modality birthday cake you may want to bargain this coat from your local anaesthetic bakers where you can be assured of the select and the freshness. With the coat safely at home and kept base hit from hungry insects and your kids you are now ready for the birthday.

While birthdays come and go and fashions for natal day parties change, there is one invariant that you can always be sure of. A scrumptious birthday cake is the start of a merriment packed day and you can always find the perfect tense bar for your special day.

Cake decorating tips

Whether purchased from the grocery store or made to your own recipe, fondant icing is an excellent icing choice for wedding cakes and for other "special occasion" cakes. Drying to a smooth alabaster finish, it can be applied to cakes of all shapes and makes the perfect base for the most inticate or simplest of decoration.

Fondant icing is a soft sugar-based icing that is generally rolled out to a thickness of about 1/4 inch, layed over the cake and smoothed and pressed into place before being trimmed for a perfect fit.

Despite the fact that fondant cake decorations are ideal for wedding cakes, fondant icing is not always easy to work with so here are a few tips to help you get that perfect result.

Tip 1. A thin layer of icing, referred to as a "crumb coat" should be applied to the cake before the fondant icing is added. This produces a sticky surface for the fondant to stick to.

Tip 2. To prevent it from drying out, fondant icing should be put in a plastic bag (or covered with a non-permeable plastic wrap such as Sara wrap) and then placed in a tightly sealed container. The container should be kept at cool room temperature and should never be refrigerated. If the icing dries out and harden it can usually be revived by putting it into the microwave for a few seconds and then kneading the life back into it.

Tip 3. Do not refrigerate fondant icing but store it, and use it, at room temperature.

Tip 4. For that truly professional looking finish, and to obscure any rough edges, make a decorative border to go around the cake and, particularly, to cover the join between individual tiers.

Tip 5. If the cake has a number of tiers, each tier should be iced individually before the cake is assembled. It is also advisable, when the final design permits, to store the tiers separately and then to assemble them only when the cake is necessary.

Tip 6. To ensure a smooth, flawless finish, make sure that your working surface, rolling pin and hands are clean and lint-free. fluffy clothing, jewelry on your fingers or wrists, long fingernails and long hair may all cause problems.

Tip 7. Fondant icing dries out very fast and needs to be applied to the cake quickly (within as little as 5 minutes) after it has been rolled out. Once applied, the cake can be stored without problem for several days at room temperature.

When it comes to considering the quantity of fondant icing required try to have too much icing rather than too little, as leftover icing can always be stored for use at a later date.

As a guide, for 3 1/2 inch high cake layers a 6 inch diameter round cake will need about 1 1/2 pounds of icing, while a 10 inch diameter square cake will need about 3 pounds of icing.

For some people fondant cake decorations, despite their tremendous appearance, are somewhat flavorless and this can be remedied by adding flavoring, often accompanied with coloring. There are a large number of flavorings available and typically to flavor one pound of icing you can add 1/3 cup of hazelnut or peanut butter, 1/2 cup of dried, shredded and sweetened coconut or 1 or 2 teaspoons of vanilla, almond extract or orange flower water.

Cakes decoration

The Internet is a blessing to many people. It allows people to communicate with their friends and loved ones thousands of miles away. It can also be a good source of income. Yet another good use of the Internet though is for education, and there are online courses available about anything and everything under the sun.

If you want to learn how to decorate a cake then you should know that you can take an online cake decoration course that will allow you to learn this wonderful craft without even leaving your home. This article is about the advantages and disadvantages of an online cake decoration course – and why these courses can be a better choice than traditional in-person cake classes.

The best thing about an online cake decoration course is the convenience it provides. Imagine not having to commute or drive somewhere in order to learn how to decorate a cake. All you need is to sit in front of your computer, have a notebook and a pen ready, gather all the materials needed and you can already learn cake decorating.

Online cake decoration courses are ideal for people who want to learn how to decorate a cake but are busy with other matters such as a job or a business. This is because an online cake decoration course allows people to learn at their own pace. You do not have to conform or follow a fixed a schedule the way you have to with offline classes. If you cannot finish a lesson in one sitting then you can simply turn your PC off then just return to the lessons whenever your schedule is free already. This is something that you definitely cannot do if you are attending a course in some actual learning center.

Another benefit of an online cake decoration course is that in most cases all aspects of cake decorating are covered in the one course. You get access to everything from the most basic steps of baking cakes and making icing to advanced techniques for using fondant and making gum paste flowers. You can go through all the topics to learn everything, or pick and choose sections to focus on the specific methods that interest you.

The only disadvantage when it comes to an online cake decoration course is the lack of interaction with instructors and other students. This problem is solved with an instructional cake decorating membership website, however, that addresses this concern well by allowing students to interact with professional and amateur cake decorators and other students through email and a member forum. This way, you can ask your teacher if you have any questions or you can share tips and ideas with your classmates.

Wedding cake decoration

Your wedding cake is the “crown” and crowning touch of your wedding and in essence the culmination of all your wedding and wedding reception plans and planning. No longer are you limited in your choices in your choices of wedding cakes. It used to seem that there were only a few available choices for wedding cakes with all being topped by a plastic bride and groom figurine.

Sure wedding cakes have traditions. But that does not mean that your cake does not have to be special as well as unique. The tradition of wedding cakes goes all the way back to medieval times when wedding guests would each bring a small cake to the wedding. These smaller cakes would be stacked on a table in layers. It was considered good luck if the bride and groom could kiss on top of this stack. Even the ancient Romans had a tradition of handing out sweets at weddings.

It can be said that today wedding cake specialists have become artists, indeed culinary artists in their own rights. The most imaginative palettes of colors, textures and cake flavors are available. The world’s your oyster now when it comes to choices for these cakes. Your cake might be a sleek, elegant confection sheathed in rolled fondant or an asymmetrical tiered whimsy reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland. Other ideas are to use cupcakes or other individual cakes – all put together in one building block to appear as a traditional wedding cake. Indeed your wedding cake can be almost anything you wish desire or imagine.

Like anything else in the wedding and wedding reception catering industry the very best bakers book up well in advance of your special day in the sun – your “wedding date”. It is best to search out and choose a baker who you can work and communicate with, one who is willing to spend the time with you to create a unique most memorable wedding cake that reflects the theme and style of your wedding. Thus first plan your attire, décor and menu of the wedding. After that the cake can be chosen to be the towering crown of the event. One point of note is to verify any lettering, words and names both with the people involved, in order to get the absolute correct spelling. Verify and recheck all spelling with the baker. Or their assistant.

When it comes to personalizing your cake the variations and possibilities are almost endless and limitless. For example you can take the pattern on your tablecloth design and use that same pattern in the icing all over the cake. Or you can use as a model a flower or another feature of the bride’s wedding dress. It’s only left to the imagination of yourself, your wedding consultant and your baker of the cake what the end result could and can be.

Lastly plan ahead who will cut the first cut and slices of the cake. As well ensure that an adequately sized knife is available on hand. It is generally the norm, but not always that the first cut of the wedding cake be performed as a couple together by the bride and groom. A ceremonial knife or even more imaginative props can be used to make this event most special and memorable. After all it is your “day in the sun”

Cupcake decoration

The beauty of cupcakes lies on the fact that you can make twenty different types of cupcakes at the same time without putting in all your time and effort in the kitchen. Cupcakes are easy to prepare, yet they are so versatile that you can actually serve them on different occasions in several unique ways. From the usual family gathering to the formal dinner, cupcakes are sure not to disappoint. All you need are a few good cupcake recipes and plenty of creative decoration ideas.

Party Cupcakes for Every Occasion

Making cupcakes that match your party theme is the best way to add your personal touch to the event. If your party celebrates the birthday or the recent success of a member of the family, you can add his favorite object or favorite fruit as a topping.

A son who loves basketball so much would appreciate cupcakes with orange candy balls on it. You can also write letters on each cupcake using icing and then arrange them accordingly to spell the celebrator’s name.

Cupcake toppers like animal-shaped candies, chocolate sprinkles and other sugar shapes can instantly make your cupcake a work of art. Plus, they make the cupcakes even more mouth-watering.

Even more formal social gatherings such as weddings have also adopted the use of cupcakes. A tower filled with cupcakes designed according to the bridal motif has been a favorite choice. Unlike traditional cakes, your guests can appreciate the cake designs better because it is not only a slice of a bigger cake they are getting, but the entire cupcake. You can even use the decorated cupcakes as party favors for your guests.

Before getting to the wedding, a proposal comes first. Any girlfriend will surely find it romantic to find her engagement ring on top of her favorite cupcake. Who could say ‘no’ to such a dreamy proposal, or at least, to such a yummy cupcake?

Healthy Cupcakes for Your Kids

If you are a mom who is working on training your kids to eat healthy without depriving them the joys of eating a good serving of cupcakes, there are several ways you can do to ensure that you achieve this win-win situation.

Almond cupcakes and carrot cupcakes are great-tasting desserts or snacks that your kids can bring to school or eat at home. You may also give your children chocolate-zucchini cupcakes. The chocolate will mask the taste of zucchini, but its nutritional value is kept intact. Your kids will not feel like they are missing out on the cupcake fun as they have their own, too.

If a little swirl of whipped cream can make your kid eat your pumpkin cupcakes, then go ahead and make this trade. You would later realize how agreeing to this deal can help your child appreciate healthier options. This gives him the idea that healthy foods are also delicious.

Cake decoration

A well decorated cake can be a piece of art, but it is all too easy to make a mistake and ruin your masterpiece when you are under pressure to create something for a special celebration. You can avoid mistakes by being aware of the most common ones, and it may not be impossible to fix things if something does go wrong.

Go through the tips given here and you will be more than ready for the special occasion...

The cake should be prepared far enough in advance to cool and settle properly before you begin to decorate it. You will also need to allow plenty of time to decorate it, and to allow the decoration to set if necessary.

Make sure you are beginning with the best possible base. If the cake sank, flatten it out with jam or frosting, or by cutting it down. If the frosting is pulling up a lot of crumbs, then put a think layer of icing on first, and add the main layer only when it has set.

You should always ensure you have plenty of frosting or icing to cover the cake, as it will look uneven if you try to spread it too thin, and fondant icing will crack and tear. Fondant can also tend to buckle around the base, but if you are quick you can fix this by lifting the icing and smoothing or re-moistening the sides of the cake. If the fondant has already set, then you could tie a ribbon around the cake to conceal the problem.

If you are making your own icing then be very careful with your ingredients. If you substitute white chocolate for plain or milk, or a more spreadable fat for butter, then the result will be runnier and will take longer to spread. Be particularly careful too when melting white chocolate as it will melt quicker than other types.

Coloring should be added only very gradually to icing, as it is easy to end up with bright red rather than pale pink. Make sure you wash all the coloring off your hands too so that you don't accidentally add any to your other cake decorations.

Take care to space the letters evenly when writing with icing, and make sure you spell your message correctly. The color from writing icing can sometimes leech onto the base icing. You may be able to cover this up by re-writing over the message with a thicker nozzle. You can prevent leeching by using a colorfast fondant icing, or leaving the writing until the last minute so it doesn't have time to leech.